Sight-illuminating attachment for guns.



BIL-2M A. N. OLSON.

SIGHT ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.12, 1910.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

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SIGHT ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.12. 1910.

1,017,991. Patented Feb.20, 1912.

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. t u A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW N. OLSON, OF IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH TO C. 0'. KING, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

SIGHT-ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR GUNS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW N. OLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Idaho Springs, county of Clear Creek, and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sight- Illuminating Attachments for Guns; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for illuminating the sights of guns to enable the user of the gun to shoot in the dark with the same accuracy as in daylight, providing that the outline of the object aimed at can be seen.

This device is in the form of an incandescent lamp located in the circuit of a battery suitably incased, provision being made for attaching the casing to the gun barrel in the vicinity of the sight. The illuminating extremity of the device is equipped with a removable cap which covers the lamp, but is provided with a tubular device adapted to be so arranged as to throw the light rays upon the gun sight only. By virtue of this construction and arrangement the object aimed at, as an animal, for instance, cannot see the light and thus has no warning of the proximity of danger. The cap, however, may if desired be removed so that the full strength of the lamp shall be thrown forward for the purpose of illuminating the object aimed at. This becomes practicable when the gun is used at short range.

The primary object, however, of my improvement is the illumination of the gun sight exclusively, as heretofore intimated.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gun equipped with my improved sight illuminating device. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same, looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, the parts being shown on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 12, 1910.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

Serial No. 596,901.

section taken on the line 33, Fig. 2, looking toward the right. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the illuminating device shown on a still larger scale. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the switch extremity of the device looking at its inner surface. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a double-barreled gun with my improved device applied. Fig. 7 is a front end elevation of the same, looking in the direction of arrow 7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of my improved device taken on the line 44 Fig. 1, and showing the means for attaching it to the gun. Fig. 9 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 9, Fig. 8.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a gun barrel and 6 the gun sight illuminating device considered in its entirety and comprising a metal casing 7 two battery cells 8 and 9 inclosed within said casing; a lamp 10 con nected in circuit with the battery; and a switch 12. There is a lining of insulating material 13 within the metal casing 7 and surrounding the cells 8 and 9. The cell 8 is connected with the filament 14 of the lamp through the medium of a coil spring 15 secured to the cell at one extremity as shown at 16, its opposite extremity engaging a metal plate 17 having a contact 18 with which the filament 1 1 is directly connected, the contact 18, however, being insulated from the metal neck 19 of the lamp to which the opposite extremity of the filament leads as shown at 20. The metal neck 19 is connected with a metal disk 21 inserted in the forward extremity of the casing 7 and in direct contact therewith, the circuit being completed through the casing 7, the metal part 22 of the switch, a contact 23 carried thereby, and a screw 24 which secures the contact 23 in place upon the insulating part 25 of the switch. The insulating part 25 together with the screw 24 and the contact 23, are rotatable within the metal part 22 of the switch for the purpose of making and breaking the circuit. In the face of the metal part 22 is set a number of insulating parts 26 located within the path of the contact 23 when the latter is rotated. As shown in the drawing, there are four insulating parts 26 within the path of the contact 23 as the latter is rotated. Whenever this contact engages an W $2M UN 5 M1,!

while the two cells are connected as shown.

at 27,- whereby the circuit is completed through the lamp.

To the forward extremity of the cylindrical casing 7 is applied a removable cap 28 which covers the bulb of the lamp and is equipped with a funnelshaped tube 29 communicating with the interior of the cap for directing the rays 30 of light upon the gun sight 31. The forward wall of the ray-directing device is longer. than the rear wall thereof, to prevent the forward reflection of the rays of light when it is desired to illuminate the sight of the gun only. For this purpose the outer extremity of the funnel-shaped tube 29 is cut on a line 32 forming oblique angles with the axis of the ray-directing tube. This cap is attached to one extremity of a short chain 33 as shown at 34, its opposite extremity being connected with the casing 7 of the illuminating device as shown at 35. This chain prevents the loss of the cap when removed from the device for any reason.

In applying the device to the barrel of the gun, I prefer to employ the fastening means illustrated in the drawing and consisting of leather bands 36 passed around the casing 7, the edges of each band being secured together by sewing or otherwise, as shown at 37. Intermediate the connected edges the band is equipped with two loops 38, the loop part of the band being secured to a leather pad 39 as shown at 40. This pad forms a sort of base in applying the device to the gun barrel. Connected with one of the loops 38 is a link 41 through which is passed an elastic strap 42, the said strap being doubled on itself and having its extremities connected with a metal loop 43 adapted to engage with a hook 44 applied to the opposite loop 38. This elastic strap is adjustable in the loop 43 and its length may be so regulated that the illuminating device may be securely applied to the barrel of the gun by the employment of two sets of fastening means, each including a leather band 36, a pad 39 and the elastic strap 12, and their connections.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the illuminating device is applied to a double-barreled gun, the doublebarrel construction being designated by the numeral 4. The device is substantially identical in construction with that shown in connection with the single gun barrel. The elastic straps, of course, for the doublebarreled gun must be somewhat longer. In other respects the construction is in every way identical.

Attention is called to the fact that the device may be located on any suitable part of the barrel which will permit the adjustment of the ray-directing tube so that the rays of light passing therethrough shall strike the gun sight. It will be understood that the cap 28 is rotatably adjustable upon the casing 7 for the aforesaid purpose.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improved device will be readily understood. When the light is not needed, the contact 23 of the switch is so adjusted by turning the exposed insulating button 3, that the contact shall be in engagement with one of the insulating parts 26 set into the stationary metal part 22 of the switch. As soon, however, as it is desired to light the lamp, this button is turned to cause the contact 23 to engage the inner face of the metal part 22 between the insulating parts 26; and in order that the operator may know when the proper adjustment is made the face of the metal part 22 between the insulating parts 26 is provided with small recesses 2, which the free extremity of the contact 23 will engage. These shallow recesses offer slight resistance to the further movement of the contact, thus preventing the accidental movement of the contact when the light is on.

As heretofore explained, when using the device in the regular way for illuminating the gun sight, the cap 28 is applied to the casing 7 covering the lamp so that only the rays of light passing through the tube 29 may escape, the tube being so constructed that there can be no forward reflection of the rays, the latter being confined to the direction of the sight alone. However, should it be desired to illuminate the space forward of the muzzle of the gun, the cap may be removed, when the full force of the illuminating power of the lamp may be used for the purpose stated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a gun barrel, of an illuminating device for the sight thereof, the said illuminating device being applied longitudinally to the side of the barrel, means for attaching the same to the barrel, the illuminating device comprising a lamp located at the forward extremity thereof, a battery with which the lamp is in circuit, means for making and breaking the circuit through the lamp, and a semi-spherical cap detachably applied to the lamp extremity of the device and inclosing the lamp, a frustum-shaped tube extending from one side of the cap at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the illuminating device and arranged to direct the rays of light upon the sight of the barrel, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a gun barrel, of an illuminating device for the sight thereof,

the said illuminating device being applied longitudinally to the side of the barrel, means for attaching the same to the barrel, the illuminating device comprising a lamp at the forward extremity thereof, a battery with which the lamp is in circuit, means for making and breaking the circuit through the lamp, and a cap det-achably applied to the lamp extremity of the device and having a tube extending toward the sight of the gun at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the illuminatin device and arranged to direct rays of llght upon the sight of the barrel, for the purpose set forth.

' 3. The combination with a gun barrel, of an illuminating device for the sight of the barrel, means for attaching the said device to the barrel, the illuminating device comprising a metal casing, a battery located therein, an electric lamp at one extremity of the casing, a metal cap applied to one extremity of the casing and provided with insulating parts, and recesses interposed between the insulating parts, a switch rotatably mounted in the cap and provided with a contact arm and adapted to travel in a circuit intersecting the insulating parts and the recesses, for making and breaking the circuit through the lamp, the free extremity of the contact arm being adapted to enter the recesses when the circuit is closed.

4. An illuminating device for gun barrel -sights, comprising a metal casing, a battery located therein, an electric lamp at one extremity of the casing, a metal cap applied to one extremity of the casing and provided wit-h insulating parts and recesses interposed between the insulating parts, a switch arm rotatably mounted in the cap and provided with a contact arm adapted to travel in a circuit intersecting the insulating parts and the recesses for making and breaking the circuit through the lamp, the free extremity of the contact arm being adapted to enter the said recesses and to maintain the said arm in the circuit closing position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW N. OLSON.

Witnesses F. E. BOWEN, A. EBERT OBRmN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. C. 

